MADRID: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared Spain’s preparation for this summer’s deadly wildfires as clearly insufficient during a climate emergency address.
Four people died and thousands were evacuated during last month’s heatwave that sparked widespread blazes across southern Europe.
The Socialist government and conservative opposition Popular Party have engaged in a blame game over responsibility for the fire crisis.
Socialists accuse the PP of failing to implement effective fire prevention policies in regions they govern while downplaying climate change.
The PP blames arson for the fires and accuses the central government of withholding resources including adequate military support.
Sanchez cited insufficient firefighters, forest rangers and prediction tools as critical shortcomings in fire prevention policy.
He emphasised that violent fires are not extinguished in summer but through year-round preparation to avoid emergencies during extreme temperatures.
The prime minister highlighted inadequate land management that left countryside areas full of biomass without proper fire breaks.
He also pointed to obsolete infrastructure as contributing factors to the severity of the wildfire situation.
Sanchez acknowledged the climate emergency as a significant factor, noting scientists’ warnings about human-driven global warming increasing extreme heat episodes.
Wildfires in Spain have destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares this year, mostly during August according to European Forest Fire Information System data.
This year’s destruction has surpassed the previous record of 306,000 hectares set in 2022, marking the highest annual total since reporting began in 2006. – AFP
